On April 27th, 2023, the Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds held a special event to discuss the Vermont DEC’s Greeter Program.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Special Event: What It All Means – A Look into Vermont’s Public Access Greeter Program.
Olin Reed, Aquatic Biologist, AIS Program, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, described the Vermont Greeter Program and what can be learned from several years of Greeter data about lake-to-lake boat traffic.
In recent years, the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) program has seen a jump in the number of boat inspections, and with it, an increase in threats of invasions. The statewide Vermont Public Access Greeter Program, supported primarily by local municipalities and associations, serve to protect one of Vermont’s most important assets, it’s native aquatic ecosystems.
While these Greeters focus is to prevent the spread of an invasion and educate the public, they also provide the AIS program with important data to answer many questions, mainly: Where should we look next?
Olin discussed the answers that the Public Access Greeter Program provides to the state, how this data is shared with our partners, and how it is used to better protect our lakes and ponds.
A PDF of Olin’s presentation can be viewed here.
The meeting was recorded and can be viewed below, and on YouTube.
